Ukraine has announced its readiness to hold another round of trilateral negotiations with the Russian Federation, with Azerbaijan acting as a mediator. The statement was made by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, during a joint press conference with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukraine’s Position on Peace Negotiations
Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the importance of diplomatic efforts to achieve peace and highlighted the role of international partners in the mediation process. The President noted that Ukraine has already participated in such trilateral negotiations in Turkey and Switzerland and is ready for a similar format in Azerbaijan if Russia agrees to diplomatic dialogue. Zelensky stated:
“I shared with the President of Azerbaijan that we are ready for trilateral negotiations. We had such negotiations in Turkey, in Switzerland. We are ready for such negotiations in Azerbaijan if Russia is ready for diplomacy.”
The President also emphasized that Ukraine “greatly values” the participation of partners in the negotiation process and called on Russia to find the strength to end the war.
Negotiations with the USA and the Situation around Donbas
Separately, Zelensky commented on the progress of negotiations with the USA. He reported that technical consultations are ongoing, but are complicated by the fact that the American negotiating team, led by Stephen Witkoff and Jared Kushner, is simultaneously involved in resolving conflicts in Iran and Ukraine. Zelensky stressed that the issue of Ukraine cannot be postponed, as the country is already experiencing a large-scale tragedy due to the war.
During the visit to Azerbaijan, the parties signed six cooperation agreements, particularly in the fields of security and the defense industry. The details of these agreements, the President assured, will be made public later.
In January and February of this year, several rounds of trilateral meetings took place between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia regarding the cessation of hostilities. Although no specific results were announced, after the negotiations on February 5, the parties agreed on a prisoner exchange – the first in five months.
Due to the escalation of the situation in the Middle East, these negotiations were suspended indefinitely, but according to Zelensky, they have not reached a deadlock.
In an interview with Reuters, Zelensky revealed that the United States had demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas in exchange for security guarantees from the USA. In response, Russian representative Kirill Dmitriev expressed satisfaction with this position, stating that “the USA will provide security guarantees to Ukraine only if Ukraine withdraws from Donbas.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in turn, called Zelensky’s statements false, while the President of Ukraine emphasized that he has only revealed a “smaller part of the iceberg” regarding the negotiations and security conditions.